Stargazers across Birmingham were given the chance to kick start 2017 in style last night.

Seasoned astronomers and casual stargazers were left chatting animatedly on social media after spotting a bright light underneath the moon.

Glowing beneath yesterday's crescent moon was the planet Venus.

It's not just Venus that we'll be able to see in our skies this month, but also the 'red planet' Mars and the 'gassy giant' Jupiter.

The second rock from the sun is one of the brightest lights in our night skies but in recent days it has been especially bright.

All over the UK people have been posting pictures of Venus just below the crescent moon.

Have you got any pictures of the stunning celestial event? Send them to newsdesk@birminghammail.co.uk.

"A few people have asked me what the bright planet is below the moon tonight. It's Venus. Very beautiful," wrote Professor Brian Cox on Twitter.

Have I missed it?

Not necessarily.

Like yesterday Venus will still be very bright tonight but unfortunately could be obscured by cloud.

If there is a break in the cover the best time to see it is to in the hours just after sunset as Venus sets about four hours after the Sun this month.

Early January 2017 is a great time to see Venus. During the month it will reach its peak height above the horizon, according to the Beckstrom Observatory.

It will also see the distance between Mars and Venus get smaller as Venus gets higher each night.

Venus and Mars were visible to the naked eye last night (Image: Susan Snow)

Why is Venus so bright?

Of all the planets visible in the skies above Earth, Venus is the brightest. This because it has a highly reflective acidic atmosphere. Over the last billion years the atmosphere of Venus has become incredibly thick. Scientists believe this this because of a runaway greenhouse effect. The atmosphere is so thick that it reflects 70% of the sunlight that reaches it.

The moon only reflects 10% of the light that hits it but appears brighter than Venus to us because it is so much closer.

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Can I see Mars?

Yes you can! Mars was bright red in the sky in May and June last year but is no longer as bright. You can still see it with the naked eye appearing a ruddy red colour. As it is not as bright as Venus you need to wait until full nightfall to catch a glimpse of it and won’t be visible immediately after sunset.

Mars is getting less and less visible because the Earth is moving away from it as they race each other round the sun- Earth with the inside lane.